


Admit One

by beyondinsane



Category: Hornblower (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-01-23
Updated: 2008-01-23
Packaged: 2017-10-06 15:14:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/55035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beyondinsane/pseuds/beyondinsane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nonsensically immortal, a modern day Horatio and Archie visit a carnival. Fluff ensues.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Admit One

**Author's Note:**

  * For [romanticalgirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/romanticalgirl/gifts).



"Archie..." Horatio started as Archie blustered into their apartment, entering as he always did via the unlocked patio door.

"I don't want to hear it, Raysh. You promised!" His eyes shimmered with amusement as he stripped off his work uniform and pulled out casual clothes. He knew he would win out; Horatio could never refuse him, especially not when Archie wore cargo shorts. He had confessed to Archie that he found them positively scandalous, with their large pockets and straps pretending to be functional. Archie pulled them on, and turned around to look in the mirror, largely for Horatio's benefit.

"I did?" Horatio mused, interrupting Archie's cargo-short inspection. "I should think I would have remembered promising a thing like that." Archie chuckled; Horatio hated "modern mechanical contraptions" enough as was, the flight over from England had nearly done him in.

"When we moved to America" Archie began, pulling a plain white T shirt over his head, "you promised we'd try and fit in. Really try for the whole American Experience... everything. Really belong. How can we presume to blend in if we are constantly keeping to ourselves? Are you really that xenophobic?" Archie strapped on his sandals, the ones Horatio had bought for his birthday fifteen years ago. They were still his favourite.

"I hardly think paying sixty-five dollars for a lot of flashing lights, spun sugar, and whirling greased gears constitutes an integral part of American culture." Horatio opined, slipping his boots on. (He could not stomach open toed shoes; the feel of gravel beneath his toes drove him mad.) "At any rate, I am not xenophobic. You must admit I've grown accustom to a good deal more than any man should be asked to in his life."

"Name one change you have embraced without question." Archie challenged. "Because I am having a hard time coming up with any. You barely drive, for instance..."

"You are so much better at it."

"...You're still bewildered by CNN..."

"The stock ticker is an annoyance and should be stricken from broadcast news."

"...And don't even get me started on your irrational fear of microwave popcorn."

"It explodes so loudly, like canon fire!" Horatio protested, but his lips had curled up into a smile. " Archie, when we found out about The Fountain, I never dreamed it would mean all of this. That the world would change faster than I could adapt. I wonder if we would have drank of it if we could have foreseen all the impossible things that time and ingenuity have made possible."

"I know I would have." Archie said without reservation.

"Well you are much better at changing than I am."

"It is not witnessing the progress of the world that I cherish; it is seeing it all with you by my side." He sidled up to Horatio, embracing him in the comfortable way that could only come of centuries together. "Which is why I want you to come with me tonight. Nothing is worth experiencing without you." Horatio melted, his resolve slipping further away with each kiss that Archie feathered along his neck.

"As you wish, Archie." Horatio caved, feeling like an indulgent grandmother. "But if you try and get me on that pony ride we shall come right home!"

"How did you know they had a pony ride?" Archie asked, eying him suspiciously.

" I saw it." Horatio couldn't help but feel smug, pulling his shoulders back almost subconsciously. "On a television commercial."

"You did?" Archie fought back the laugh that tickled his throat. Horatio looked genuinely pleased with himself.

"Well, one must endeavor to keep up with the times, Archie." Horatio said sagely, his straight face cracking into a broad grin.

"I do love you." Archie declared, kissing Horation softly. "My modern man!"

"Are you going to stand here and marvel at my television prowess all evening or are we going to your carnival after all?"

"Mmm..."Archie pretended to take a moment to decide, and when the word came it it was an excited squeak.

"Carnival!"

***

Archie pulled his white BMW into the field, grinning as he sloshed through a mud puddle. Horatio grimaced, but held his tongue. This was Archie's car, after all, and Horatio respected ownership as a form of captaincy. The sun had just begun to set, and already the lights from the midway were blinking in the sky like colorful stars. Archie seemed to navigate by them, steering Horatio towards the rides and games and away from the blaring tents of country music.

"Shall we get a pint?" Archie asked, hoping that a bit of alcohol would soothe Horatio's nerves. He had long ago gotten used to climbing up the rigging, but heights still bothered him, especially without something organic and solid supporting him. "Not that they sell it in pints here, more like to be a flimsy cup." Archie prattled, laying the American money down experimentally. "It's so cheap, Raysh, only a pound and a half for cup."

"That's cause it's Miller Lite" The girl behind the counter said, ringing up the sale. She took Archie's ten dollar bill and handed him the beer. "Your change." She continued, winking at him conspiratorially and giving him a ten dollar bill back, this one with small, black digits written in a heart.

"What are you strutting for?" Horatio asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Nothing"

"I Know that walk, Mr. Kennedy. Your chest is puffed out like a proud little lion cub. What have you pounced upon now?"

"I just got free beer." He said smugly, puffing out his chest further for added effect.

"And?"

"And the ... " Archie struggled for a suitable word "...potmaid gave me her phone number."

Horatio snorted, shaking his head. He wasn't jealous; Archie hadn't slept with a woman in at least a hundred years, and even then it was only because he had forgotten what it felt like.

"Good to know I've still got it, even after all these years."

"That's something of an understatement." Horatio pulled him into a sudden, deep kiss, loving that he could do it openly. Tolerance was the best part of their current age, her found that he no longer cared about keeping their relationship a secret and refreshingly, the world no longer cared either.

***

"I told you so." Tiffany told her coworker, who sighed and looked longingly at the where the two men stood, kissing in the shadow of the tilt-a-whirl.

"Doesn't matter." Lizzie replied, ignoring the customer in front of her. "The show is most definitely worth the price of admission."

***

Archie cracked the stack of pink tickets in half, tucking them into his front pocket.

"Which first, Raysh?"

"They all look equally nauseating." Horatio waved his hand across the midway, surveying the multitude of rides with a wary eye. "So fire when ready." The only ride that looked even remotely palatable was a small ring of motor boats, upon which cheeky toddlers waved and honked their horns. Horatio doubted that they would fit, though the idea of Archie in a toddler-sized boat brought a smile to his face nonetheless.

"Look! A ship!" Archie cried excitedly, pulling Horatio towards the ride.

The think looked dreadful, at least to Horatio, all gilt and plastic. It sat perfectly still, like a predator hoping to lure them into it's grasp.

"The Black Beard" Archie read, giggling. "Named after you, no doubt."

"That was seventy years ago!" Horatio protested." I wanted to see how it looked!" He flushed a little, remembering how Archie had begged him to shave the wretched thing and only pure stubbornness kept it on his face.

"It looked like a Bird's Nest!" Archie chirped, gesturing to Horatio's chin.

"You see! I try and keep up with fashion and you mock me!" Horatio harrumphed, but he was playing. The beard had rather looked like a bird's nest and it was the last time he ever attempted facial hair.

Archie strapped them in, taking care to test the strength of the latch so that Horatio wouldn't fret over it. He chanced a look at Horatio out of the corner of his eye, and indeed the man was watching him, ever the superior officer. Apparently the latch passed muster, for Horatio didn't fiddle with it.

"What does this DO, anyway?" Horatio asked, trying not to sound nervous.

"We'll find out. But those lads can't be older than nine. I am sure we will hold up at least as well as powder monkeys could."

Horatio gripped the bar and said nothing as the great ship began to sway slowly, back and forth. He relaxed, enjoying the breeze rush past him.

"It's lovely." He said, turning to Archie and smiling warmly. "Like a rocking chair."

"Quite." Archie reached down to pat his thigh. "Just pretend the boat is a giant, plastic grandmother rocking you to sleep." He said in his most soothing voice. Horatio rolled his eyes; in his youth it had been a very modern gesture and now was mere force of habit.

"Oh dear." Horatio was unprepared for the sudden increase in speed, and the momentum that came with it carried them higher. Archie squeezed his thigh a little tighter as Horatio's knuckles turned white. "I hope we don't tip over." Horatio called, shouting over the excited laughter of the other passengers.

"I don't think we shall." Archie called just before letting out an exhilarated whoop as the ship began it's descent, swooping towards earth. Horatio couldn't help but laugh at himself as he involuntarily squeezed his eyes shut. He had been an Admiral after all, and weathered storms that tossed a ship about far worse than this. His stomach dropped as the ship crested, seemed to hang a moment in the air before rushing back to earth. He focused on Archie's laughter, the sound cutting though the noise around them and ringing in the night air.

The worst of it was over soon, The Black Beard slowing it's frenzied rocking. Horatio exhaled slowly as Archie's giggles subsided.

"That wasn't so bad was it?" He said, blue eyes flashing amusement.

"No." Horatio stated simply, patting Archie on the back as if he had been the frightened one all along.

"Shall we get another beer?"

"Lets" Horatio agreed, eager to watch Archie try and push his luck.

***

Archie did come back with two more free beers as well as a large pink batt of spun sugar.

"She said that this was for my boyfriend." Archie said, grinning brilliantly. Horatio flushed, and rewarded the girl with a shy wave. He bit into the sugar, having fallen in love with the stuff around the turn of the century. Horatio closed his eyes, feeling it melt on his tongue. Archie tugged on his sleeve, and Horatio obligingly followed, not even caring where he was going so long as he could keep sucking on the puffy sweet cloud. Archie led him behind a small trailer, apparently housing for the transients that ran the rides.

"Carnival's back there, Arch." Horatio said through a mouthful of pink. Archie said nothing, but pushed the cotton candy away from his mouth and replaced it with his own lips. Horatio's mouth was sticky, his tongue still coated and delicious.

"Can't help it." Archie murmured. "You looked so..." but the adjective was lost in the kiss. Horatio wrapped his free hand around Archie's back, pulling him closer and tighter. One disadvantage to their condition is that they would never grow old together. But at moments like this, either of them was hard pressed to consider it a disadvantage. Blood still rushed hot in their veins, young lovers still.

***

"Something less... spinny please" Horatio begged as they exited the Scrambler.

"At least you weren't squashed like a bug." Archie grumbled. "You're bigger than me anyway, why'd the put me on the inside?"

"I'm taller, love." Horatio said, pinching Archie in the side. "Which ride next?"

"How about..." Archie looked around before his eyes fell on to the large wheel at the far end of the park"...the Ferris?"

Horatio eyed it appraisingly. He had not gotten over his initial distrust of spinning gears and parts and felt more comfortable knowing he was only a few feet off the ground should one of those new fangled contraptions fail. But the pace was slow, and should disaster befall them he was confidant enough in he and Archie's footwork to navigate a path down. They had done worse before. He clasped his hands behind his back.

"Very well, Mr. Kennedy. But first I shall need to make a brief stop. Perhaps you would be so good as to hold my place in queue?"

"Certainly, Admiral Hornblower. I look forward to our meeting." Archie said, kissing his hand formally.

Archie made his way to the longish queue for the wheel, but a small booth caught his eye before he could make it there. An older woman sat alone beneath a lit umbrella, with a pallate of colours and several photographs of children with face paint, all sorts of designs. He walked over and sat on the chair facing her, smiling warmly.

"Hallo!" He said, and she returned the greeting, though her accent was strange to his ears. It was like the sound of an out of tune guitar, like the cowboy movies Horatio had fallen in love with in the sixties.

She showed him several different samples, and smiling, Archie chose. The woman touched the paint brush to his face, the paint cool and tickling against his smooth cheek. She held up the mirror and his grin grew wider. On his cheek was a proud little lion, striding confidently as if Archie's cheek were a great savanna.

"Can you give him a little blue hat?" Archie asked. The woman cackled and continued to paint.

He finally reached the queue, and smiled at the variety of it's inhabitants. There were a few young couples, first married or maybe married soon, a group of teenagers that looked excited to be out without their parents, and one old couple, perhaps reenacting their first date. Archie sighed happily as he watched them, the woman holding her husband's hand as he looked up in the same appraising manner Horatio had done before. He and Horatio really did have the best of both worlds.

"Just one?" The carny asked Archie, who clutched a fistful of tickets in his hand like a bouquet of dandelions.

"Make that three" Horatio's voice came from behind him. Horatio was carrying a gigantic stuffed panda, and he handed him unceremoniously to Archie, who placed him in the gondola before sliding in next to Horatio. The carny rolled his eyes, but didn't argue.

Archie turned to Horatio and before Horatio could offer an explanation, Archie threw his arms around him.

"That is perhaps the best present anyone's ever given me." He said soulfully, pecking Horatio on the cheek.

"It's a giant panda, Archie."

Archie nodded happily.

"It's on a Ferris Wheel, Horatio." He said, snuggling beneath Horatio's arm and looking lovingly at the giant panda, who regarded him with a neutral expression.

"Well so long as you're happy it doesn't have to make any sense." Horatio said, and he pulled Archie's face towards him. "What's this now?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Face paint." Archie said matter-of-factly. Horatio chuckled, kissing his nose.

Archie stayed tucked beneath Horatio's arm, and Horatio surveyed the scene. It was not unlike being in the fighting top, with the notable exception of the slow, circular motion. When they reached the peak, Horatio pulled a small plastic flower from his pocket and flicked on the switch. He placed it on Archie's lap, who gasped and picked it up.

"You bought me a light-up flower?" He was incredulous. Horatio never bought flowers, much less ones that had batteries. "You bought me a giant panda and a light up flower."

"It seemed like the thing to do. I wanted you to really have the whole American experience. Really blend in." Horatio said.

"It's perfect. You thought of everything. " He mumbled as Horatio put his other arm around him, kissing the top of his head.

"I'm glad." Horatio mumbled back.

  



End file.
